Web guide means



Dec. 29, 1964 P. ZERNOV 3,163,343

WEB GUIDE MEANS Filed A ril 17, 1963 INVENTOR. PETER Z ERNOI/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,163,343 WEB GUIDE MEANS Peter Zemov, Wauwatosa, Wis, assignor to Zerand Cor The present invention relates to apparatus for handling a running web and in which the web must be accurately guided to insure proper printing registry, carton cutting or other operations on the web.

The web travels at a very high rate in apparatus of the type with which the present invention finds utility, and continuous and smooth running of the web must be assured with no damage to the web.

Accordingly, the present invention provides improved guiding apparatus for a rapidly moving web and which accurately guide the web in such a manner that no damage or rupture occurs to the web edges.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to guide apparatus for a running web, which apparatus can be produced economically without sacrificing its guiding accuracy and still permitting the apparatus to be readily adjusted to accommodate webs of different widths.

These and other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a machine embodying the present invention, certain parts being shown as broken away, removed or in'section for clarity; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional View taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement over that type of guide means shown in the US. Patent Number 2,595,325 which issued on May 6, 1952 to J. R. Baumgartner.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the subject matter of the invention has been shown as applied to a 7 machine M which may be of any type that performs an operation on a running web W, such as a cutter-creaser, printer or other, and to which the web must be accurately fed to insure proper operation on the web. A pair of metering rolls R and R1 are rotatably mounted in the side walls 5 and 6 of the machine and act to feed the Web W into the machine from a stock roll or other machine (not shown), over an idler roll '7 and then over and around a curved apron 3 which is rigidly secured at the infeed side of the machine M. It will be noted that the apron forms a substantial are for the Web to follow in passing over the upper surface of this lower apron.

For the purpose of keeping the web aligned on the apron and preventing the web from lateral swinging or pivoting laterally about the feed rolls, side guide walls 23 and 21 are provided on the apron and between which the web is guided. The inner edge 24 of these walls conform to the contour of the apron surface and lie closely adjacent thereto. These walls should rest on the apron but without too much pressure in order that they can be easily adjusted as to their position across the Width of the apron. As the width of the web may vary from one supply roll to the next, or from one job to another, this adjustment must be made often to insure that the side walls 24%, 21 bear firmly against the web edges.

It has heretofore been necessary to exercise considerable care in manufacturing these side walls to insure that they accurately fit against the curved surface of the apron. This Was necessary to prevent the web from running beneath the walls, resulting in non-guiding of the web or damage thereto. Even with closely fitting side walls, diificulty has been experienced in the web working its way between the sidewall and the apron. too much pressure is exerted on the apron by the guide walls, the latter are diflicult to adjust laterally when necessary.

By causing the web to curve in passing over the apron and thereby forming it into an arc, considerable stiffness or rigidity is imparted to the web, and its edges in particular are much better able to withstand the crushing pressure sometimes exerted on the web edge by the guide wall, when the web is tending to drift laterally. In this way better guide and support of the web is possible.

It is desirable to keep as much length of the Web edge as possible against the guide walls. In this manner the unit pressure on the web edge is held to a minimum, and rupture of the edge is held to a minimum.

The side walls 20 and 21 are mounted for lateral adjustment across the curved surface of the apron as follows. A transversely positioned shaft 30is rotatably mounted in the side members 31 and 32 of the machine and is manually rotatable in either direction by a handwheel 33. The shaft 30 has oppositely threaded portions 34 and 35 on which are threadaoly engaged, respectively, the blocks 36 and 37. The side walls 20, 21 are in turn fixed by bolt means 38 to the blocks 36 and 37, respectively.

In accordance with conventional practice, when the shaft portions 34 and 35 are clamped together as a single shaft by tightening the clamp 49, rotation of the wheel 33 in one direction or the other causes the side walls 20 and 21 to move together either inwardly or outwardly to adjust the web width and thereby bear against the Web edges for guiding of the web.

When clamp 4% is loosened, as by loosening screw 41, then the shaft portions 34 and 35 function as separate shafts and are each separately adjustable by their respective handwheels $3 and 43.

A similar side guide wall arrangement, to the one described above, is indicated by reference numeral 50 and is located at the discharge side of the apron, and as its construction and function is the same as that just described, further reference to it is not believed to be necessary. It should be mentioned, however, that good web control is obtained by having one guide means located adjacent the entry side of the apron and another at the discharge side. As taught in the above-mentioned patent 2,595,325, both units can be simultaneously adjusted by means of the interconnecting endless chains 51 and 52 which are trained around the sprockets 53 fixed to the threaded shafts.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for preventing the web from entering between the side walls and the apron, and for insuring that the maximum length of the side walls is utilized to support and guide the web edges. This means takes the form of a series of transversely positioned bars 55 and 56 fixed across the surface of the apron at spaced locations in respect to the direction of web travel. Bar 55 is preferably located just ahead of the side walls, while bar 56 is located within the length of the walls. The web travels over these bars and is thereby held a distance from the apron at these bar locations. This insures that the web edges will bear against the inner surface of the side walls and the web'is prevented from entering beneath the walls.

The bars are preferably made low in height so that the web is supported as continuously as possible on the apron and without any appreciable gap therebetween. A bar of a cross sectional dimension on the order of A wide and A2" high has proved satisfactory, and polishing and chromepla-ting of these rods. prevents scratching of the web. Flat head screws 58 are countersunk into the bars and rigidly secure them across the width of the apron.

Patented Dec. 29, 1964' Furthermore, if

The side walls can be adjusted to any location along the length ofthese bars, without interference therewith, due to openings 69 in the sidewalls through which the bars can extend.

With the present invention, the side walls 20, 21 need not be resiliently loaded or otherwise held with any pressure against the apron. Instead, the transverse bars constitute raised portions that insure the web does not work its way under the side walls, regardless of the lateral position of the walls, and close tolerances between the walls and apron are not necessary. In addition, ease of adjustment of the walls is provided. a 7

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention:

1. Paper web handling machinery comprising a curved apron over which a web of paper is fed, side guide walls.

above said support and laterally spaced apart for guiding said web therebetween by bearing against the edges of said web, said walls having an edge conforming to the surface contour of said apron and located closely adjacent thereto, and means positioned across said apron for raising said web slightly 01f said apron and preventing the web from running beneath said walls.

' ,2. Paper web handling-machinery comprising, a curved 4 r adjacent thereto, and a bar extending across said apron for raising said web slightly off said apron and preventing the web from running beneath said walls.

3. Paper web handling machinery comprising, a curved apron over which a web of paper is fed, side guide walls above said support and laterally spaced apart for guiding said web therebetween by bearing against the edges of said Web, said walls having an edge conforming to the surface contour of said apron and located closely adjacent thereto, and a bar located between said sides and extending across said apron for raising said web slightly off said apron and preventing the web from running beneath said walls, said bar extending through said side walls, and means for adjusting said walls laterally and over said bar.

4. Paper web handling machinery comprising, a curved apron over which a Web of paper is fed, side guide walls above said support and laterally spaced apart for guiding said web therebetween by bearing against the edges of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,566,441 Smothers Dec. 22, 1925 2,365,322 Ashworth' Dec. 19, 1944 2,595,325

Baumgartner May 6, 1952 

1. PAPER WEB HANDLING MACHINERY COMPRISING A CURVED APRON OVER WHICH A WEB OF PAPER IS FED, SIDE GUIDE WALLS ABOVE SAID SUPPORT AND LATERALLY SPACED APART FOR GUIDING SAID WEB THEREBETWEEN BY BEARING AGAINST THE EDGES OF SAID WEB, SAID WALLS HAVING AN EDGE CONFORMING TO THE SURFACE CONTOUR OF SAID APRON AND LOCATED CLOSELY ADJACENT THERETO, AND MEANS POSITIONED ACROSS SAID APRON FOR RAISING SAID 